Sunday, June 22, 2008

Who is Marcie Maxwell?

Besides the presidential race, there's another election in November, one that will affect your house, your schools, and your neighborhood more directly than anything that happens in Washington D.C. It may be more fun to discuss geopolitical issues, or pretend your opinion matters about macroeconomic policy, but your local and state representatives have an immediate affect on your day-to-day school issues and transportation options -- and as candidates they are a lot more responsive to your input.

She's a real estate agent with years and years of local community involvement in everything from the Rotary Club (she's local president) to the school board (former president) to her local neighborhood association (Kennydale, former president). I'm pretty sure she knows everybody in Renton (including my favorite public official blogger, Renton Councilman Randy).

By all accounts, she'd make a great representative, but I have two concerns. So I emailed her and she responded immediately with a personal reply.

First, since my natural inclination is to support my home team (Steve Litzow lives not far from me), I wanted to know what sort of connections (if any) she has with Mercer Island. Here's her response:

My parents have lived on Mercer Island since 1989. My dad passed away on December 13th, 2007 at age 86 and my mother continues to live in her condominium on Mercer Island. As I grew up in Central and South Seattle and am Sephardic Jewish, we have many life long family friends and community connections on Mercer Island. Also, for many years, we attended Temple B'Nai Torah where my children went to Sunday School and had their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs at the temple's former site on Mercer Island.

I have worked directly with Mercer Island School Board Directors on education issues as well as built ongoing working relationships with my state legislators who live there.

Second, since education is my number one issue, I was concerned about one thing missing from her background: although she and her family seem extremely supportive of public schools, their focus seems to stop at high school. What about college? or graduate school? Does she push students to pursue doctorates and professional degrees? Here's what she said:

My daughter graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in Nutrition; she went on to Western Culinary School and is a Classicly Trained Chef; and then graduated from the highly regarded Dietitian program at Oregon Health Sciences University and is a Registered Dietitian. My son attended a university then graduated from Renton Technical College with an AA degree and ASE Certification in auto mechanics. Both are successfully employed in their fields, supporting themselves, and are wonderful young people.

I grew up in a working class household in inner city Seattle, attended Seattle Public Schools, attended college but did not graduate as I needed and wanted to work. At age 22 and with strong work ethics and promotions, I was hiring, training, and managing college graduates to work in the branch banking field. I have been through extensive trainings and continued learning opportunities throughout each of my careers.

Long-term, deep community involvement is her biggest strength, but in one way that's her biggest weakness as well. Her entire life and career, along with her family and friends, has been so focused on local that she's faced little serious competition from people or organizations out of the area, much less any kind of threat from world-class or global competitors. The people of the 41st district will always need auto mechanics and chefs, policemen, and real estate agents, no matter how good the schools are in China or India. Strong unions can protect teachers, and Olympia can ensure that the Microsofts and Amazons pay their "fair share" of the revenue needed for transportation and public services, but will that be enough?

These are the sorts of questions I think we should be asking of her (and Steve) between now and November. A lot will happen between now and then, so I'm not ready to put my name (or money) on any candidate yet. Marcie has plenty of impressive backers, but so does Steve. Some people endorse both. What do you think?

8 comments:

Regarding your coverage of Marcie Maxwell, you quote her as saying:"...Strong unions can protect teachers,"

Obviously she has never been a public school teacher. Have you yourself, Richard, every belonged to a union? Oh sure, they might be good at negotiating contracts but the reality is that school teacher union chapters become a driving force in areas where they shouldn't be. Teachers yes, union representation, no.

She is obviously being backed by the WEA. Having taught in high schools myself for many years, I am totally turned off to a comment such as hers about "strong unions" as if it is a positive for the students. Baloney! It's for the teachers and it should stay out of the rest and let and make the school boards more accountable to taking care of the education programs.

Maybe we should support the candidate who admits there are teacher union concerns but stresses the importance of the local control that our state constitution put in place.Marty

Marcie didn't say anything about unions; I did, to point out that international competition does not put a teacher's livelihood at risk in the same way that it does mine, although I suppose there are people who argue that with proper school board and statewide governance, that's a good thing because it enables teachers to focus on the students.

Richard, I've known Marcie for years and you don't describe the Marcie Maxwell I know.

Marcie understands and is experienced with world class companies and trade. As Chairman of the Renton Chamber of Commerce and a Renton Blue Ribbon Council member,she has advocated for Boeing and others regardingbusiness competitiveness and skilled work force needs.

Marcie believes and speaks often about our public schools preparingstudents for world class jobs and global competition. She is trulycommitted to access to higher education for all students. I know that she maintains close personal connections with and provides opportunities for many local students to set their goals high and attend leading higher education institutions in our state and around the country.

Marcie knows about the global economy and her experience with it is real. She is elected to lead in a school district where students speak 81 different languages.

Marcie's daughter is not employed as a chef as you referenced, she isa Registered Dietition (RD) at a Bellevue medical clinic.

Marcie is a tireless advocate for our kids and our community as a whole. She has been a leader in every organization she has belonged to, not because she likes the titles but because people know that Marcie will get the job done. She has been a go to person in Renton and will do the same for the 41st.

Thanks Edward for your thoughtful comments. I think you're emphasizing the aspect of Marcie's background that I like and respect most: she's a tireless advocate and will get the job done.

My experience is that being globally competitive requires bold, often unpopular choices that will upset the status quo. I also believe this region in particular is losing in that competition, in part because there aren't enough people advocating for effective changes.

That's what I'm hoping to see in the coming months from Marcie (and Steve): specific, bold ideas. You (and her website) list the motherhood-and-apple-pie issues: how could anyone disagree that we "need to prepare students for world class jobs"? The question is how. Through new tax structure? different levy lids? teacher pay-for-performance? toll roads ? -- positions on those issues is how I'll make up my mind.

I've known Marcie for about 5 years, she has always been very "fair weather friend" to me and some of the people I know. Heaven forbid if you dont buy a house from here. You would be blacklisted. This is why she would not make a good representative...If you didnt vote for her, you would probably have no representation. With a nose like hers, she should'nt be representing anybody.